'the environment' on Serious Eats

From CNN: "The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has shut down fishing in 19 percent of the Gulf over which the federal government has jurisdiction, NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco said. That's up from 10 percent that NOAA had ordered closed to fishing Monday. The agency had closed 8 percent of the portion of the Gulf under federal jurisdiction Friday." More

Photograph from chippenziedeutch on Flickr Finance blog The Simple Dollar has seven tips on how to get the most out of your refrigerator and freezer for less money. For example, cleaning the dust off the coils at the back of your refrigerator will make it more energy efficient. Also, if your freezer is fairly empty (unlike the one above), fill it with empty jugs of water to keep the other items cold and make your freezer work less hard. If you're really hardcore, you can build a chest refrigerator, which cuts energy use by about 90 percent over a typical standup refrigerator. Related: Serious Green: 10 Cheap & Green Kitchen Tips... More

As a committed tree-hugger and very recent graduate, I find myself plopped firmly at the intersection of cheap and green. Keeping things environmentally friendly while keeping costs down is important to me. Below, some of my best time-tested, budget-approved ways to keep both your wallet and the earth green and happy. 1. Fill Your Oven Photograph from KirrilyRobert on Flickr Every time you turn on your oven to roast or bake something, make sure that baby is full. It takes a lot of energy to get an oven to 400°F, so you might as well fill all the rack space. Even if roasted sweet potatoes aren't part of tonight's roasted chicken dinner, I throw them in; they'll get put into... More

Now this is a development in pizza gadgetry I can get behind. Seriously. Green-friendly packaging design firm ECO Inc. has come up with the Greenbox. The lid is perforated into four sections that can be used as plates. Tear off a couple triangular strips from the sides of the remaining bottom and fold along the score, and you've got a half-sized rectangular leftovers box. [Video of the box in action, and why it might not actually be recyclable, after the jump.]... More

Don't waste money on organic bananas. Photograph from aphasiafilms on Flickr Since the gym memberships and swearing off junk food resolutions only last so long, U.S. News and World Report has some green, cost-effective tips for eaters in 2009. Buy organic, but since it's pricey, prioritize certain produce with less pesticide residue that's OK to eat when conventionally grown, such as avocados, bananas, and kiwis. Save your leftovers. Try eating sustainable sushi. Compost your waste. Got any other food-related wisdom for the new year?... More

You thought were being eco-friendly carrying your own reusable shopping tote, but what about the PAPER SHOPPING LIST, you environmental wastrel? This new tote does away with the piece of paper. £9.99, from Spreadshirt [via Swiss Miss] On second thought: Having said that, I've spotted a flaw. The bag comes with a pen, but how do you erase the first list?... More

Photograph from ishane on Flickr What does a Chipotle burrito have to do with saving the world? Not much, you might guess. But across the sometimes muddled, sometimes clairvoyant transom of global media, a United Nations report calling for... More